


Broadcasting

by annejumps



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, M/M, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-09-07 08:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8791420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annejumps/pseuds/annejumps
Summary: Hank thought back to moments ago, in the kitchen, when he and the others had drawn straws. How he wished he were back there and someone else had drawn the short straw.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bettysofia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bettysofia/gifts).



> Prompt: "It has fallen on Hank to tell Charles that he is very... loud."  
> bettysofia, I know this was your gen prompt to fit the requirements in the main collection, but I hope you don't mind some fairly blatant background Charles/Erik!

Hank swallowed hard. He cleared his throat, and adjusted his glasses.

Charles smiled winningly up at him. "Yes, Hank?" He set down his teacup and sat back, sleeves rolled up and looking very relaxed—almost dreamy, if Hank thought about it much, but he was desperately trying not to.

"Uh, you’re…." Hank thought back to moments ago, in the kitchen, when he and the others had drawn straws. How he wished he were back there and someone else had drawn the short straw. "You’re… loud."

Charles furrowed his brow. "I’ve just been sitting here reading, Hank, and having my tea. I was playing chess a little while ago, but Erik’s gone to bed, since he’s not as much of a night owl as I am." Hank caught a glimpse of a very small, dark pink bruise at the base of Charles’ neck, almost hidden by the collar of his blue Oxford, and felt himself turning red as he looked away, frantically hoping Charles hadn’t noticed and wasn’t reading his thoughts at all. "Nothing out of the ordinary or resulting in any particularly loud noises. I’m also not one to shout. So I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to, I’m afraid."

"I mean… telepathically," Hank said. "Telepathically, you’re… loud." There. It was out.

Charles looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

God. "You’re…. When you’re… _with_ Erik. You’re loud." Hank closed his eyes tightly.

When he opened them, Charles still looked surprised, but there was a flush blooming on his cheeks and reddening his ears. He nodded slowly. "Thank you, Hank. I’ll do my best in the future to be more… discreet." He swallowed, then swiftly picked up his teacup to down the rest of his tea.

"Okay," Hank said, nodding, feeling suddenly at a loss. He’d expected, he realized, that Charles would protest, deny he and Erik had been up to anything, insist that Hank was imagining things, order him to swear secrecy. Hank wasn’t sure, now, why he’d expected that from Charles.

Charles looked worried. "I," Hank began, "We weren’t talking about it a lot—"

"'We'?" Charles repeated, looking horrified.

"Uh. Yeah. We, uh, drew straws to see who would have to tell y—"

"Oh my god," Charles said, setting down his teacup.

"It’s not a big deal, really," Hank insisted quickly. "We barely even noticed it was happening."

Watching him, Charles blinked rapidly, and pressed his lips tightly together for a moment. "Yes," he said stiffly, "I see. Well, as I said, I shall do my best to keep my shields up in future." If Charles was becoming more British in his mannerisms, Hank had best take his leave. "Will there be anything else?"

Hank shook his head. "Goodnight, Charles." 

He walked quickly out of Charles’ study… and quickly past Erik, coming down the shadowy hall toward him and toward Charles’ study, deliberately casual and pointedly not looking at Hank.


End file.
